After years of erratic behavior and antisemitic statements, Kanye West took out a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal on Monday (Jan. 26th) to issue a formal apology. In an open letter titled “To Those I’ve Hurt,” the rapper claimed bipolar disorder was to blame for his actions and antisemitism.
“I lost touch with reality… I said and did things I deeply regret… In that fractured state, I gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika… I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state,” he wrote, in part. “It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
West went on to say that “in early 2025, I fell into a four-month-long manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life,” adding, “My words as a leader in my community have a global impact and influence. In my mania, I lost complete sight of that.”
Now, Disturbed frontman David Draiman – a vocal opponent of antisemitism – has responded to West’s apology.
While Draiman said he appreciates West addressing the Jewish community, he added that he doesn’t believe the apology goes far enough, writing on Twitter/X:
“Dear @kanyewest,
“Thank you for this. Unfortunately, it doesn’t undo the damage done, I’m not sure anything ever could … but allow me to suggest also …
“1. Participating in Black/Jewish unity events, I’ll go with you?
“2. Deleting “Heil Hitler” from your catalog?”
West previously apologized for his remarks in 2023, only to later retract the apology and launch a series of offensive posts on Twitter/X in February 2025, writing that he was “never apologizing for my Jewish comments” and that he could “say whatever the f*ck I wanna say forever.” Among numerous other posts that day, West also wrote, “I love Hitler” and “I’m a Nazi.”
Shortly after, the rapper began selling shirts featuring swastikas and released a song titled “Heil Hitler.”
West’s latest apology comes as he prepares to release his upcoming album, “Bully.”
